The present invention relates generally to a waste container for holding and disposing bodily waste. More particularly, the present invention relates to a waste container that is self-supporting.
A variety of toilet seats and bedpans employing containers are widely used. Such containers must be cleaned after use. The need to clean such containers is unpleasant and may facilitate the spread of contaminants from such an unsanitary environment.
Further developments of such toilet seats have employed disposable liners or receptacles that reside within a toilet seat or bedpan. Typically, these disposable liners or receptacles are formed of a collapsible structure that conforms to the container or basin of the toilet seat itself. Examples of existing liners are discussed below.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,882,794 to Stewart, III discloses a disposable waste containment unit being a bag with a liquid impermeable bag layer having an absorbent element therein. A gathering means, such as tape, is disposed at an upper rim of the bag. The bag is a collapsible unit that conforms to the container it is inserted into.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,720,880 to Barreau discloses a protective lining for toilets provided with seats. The lining includes a bag that adopts the shape of a toilet basin and a flange for engaging the seat to connect the bag thereto.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,778,458 to Speelman discloses a biodegradable and flushable bedpan liner. The liner is made of a paper material cut and sized to fit the size of a bedpan. The liner rests in the pan when in use. The liner is disposed of after use by tilting the bedpan such that the liner slides or is dumped out of the bedpan into a toilet and flushed for disposal.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,759,086 to Booth-Cox discloses a disposable receptacle for bodily waste. The receptacle includes an inner fluid permeable layer and an impermeable outer layer where an absorbent layer is disposed between the inner and outer layer. Further, the receptacle includes a rim portion with fastening means to attach the receptacle to a bedpan support or toilet trainer such that the receptacle depends downward when attached.
Such devices, as above, rely on particular gatherings, snaps, strings, tape, tabs or adhesive to attach a liner to a support structure, such as a bedpan or toilet seat. These devices do not allow for a self-supporting disposable waste container, and often employ a flexible construction that may not be effective for containing the bodily waste in the liner on their own. Although these devices may be suitable for their intended uses, improvements may still be made in providing a disposable waste container that can be used in place of a lavatory system or incorporated with an existing lavatory system, such as a bedpan, toilet trainer, toddler toilet seat, etc, while maintaining optimum convenience for disposing the waste container and at least reducing if not eliminating the need to clean the toilet basin and pans of such lavatory systems. In addition, it is of importance to provide a disposable waste container that is self-supporting. Further, there is a need for a disposable waste container that is easy to manufacture and that is cost efficient.
In accordance with the present invention, improvements upon existing designs for disposing bodily waste have been made by providing a disposable waste container with a self-supporting structure enabling the disposable waste container to remain in an upright position.
In one embodiment of the present invention, a disposable waste container includes a housing with a top, a bottom and a sidewall that define a reservoir within the housing. The top defines an open side adaptable for receiving waste. The housing includes a plurality of adjacent layers, where the layers define at least an inner layer and an outer layer and at least one intermediate layer disposed between the inner and outer layers. The housing includes a self-supportable structure, where the self-supportable structure includes at least one of the layers being a semi-rigid layer so as to enable self-supporting of the housing.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the self-supportable structure enables the sidewall of the housing to remain in an upright position.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the housing is adaptable for use with existing lavatory systems or for use of disposing waste on its own. Preferably, the housing is disposable after one time use.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the inner layer includes a permeable structure, where the permeable structure is arranged and configured to enable bodily waste to pass through the inner layer from the reservoir. Preferably, the permeable structure is a porous material. More preferably, liquid waste is enabled to pass through the inner layer to the intermediate layer, while solid waste is retained and supported in the reservoir of the disposable waste container.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the outer layer includes an impermeable structure, where the impermeable structure is arranged and configured to prevent bodily waste from passing through the housing and into an outer environment. Preferably, the impermeable structure is a plastic material.
In one embodiment of the present invention, an intermediate layer includes an absorbent material, where the absorbent material is arranged and configured to enable support of liquid bodily waste absorbed into the absorbent material.
Preferably, the absorbent material is a semi-rigid structure providing the semi-rigid layer enabling self-supporting of the disposable waste container.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the housing includes a tape tab disposed on the outer layer proximate the top of the housing. The tape tab enables closing of the open side for disposal of the waste container after usage. Preferably, the tape tab resides about at least a portion of the perimeter of the housing along the outer layer, so that the sidewall of the housing may be pushed inward at oppositely disposed positions to close the open side. More preferably, the tape tab connects with an opposite portion thereof to close the open side of the housing for disposal of the waste container.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the housing may be arranged and configured such that a plurality of said housings are nestable into a stacked arrangement.
The present invention provides a disposable waste container that allows for easy placement into an existing lavatory system, such as a training or a portable toilet and toilet seat or a bedpan, and allows for easy and hygienic removal of bodily waste from such existing lavatory systems. The present invention reduces the need to clean the toilet or bedpan after use. Further, the present invention can be used as a stand-alone unit without the need for a structure that connects to such a toilet seat or bedpan for support. The disposable waste container provides a self-supportable structure where a sidewall of the housing is arranged and configured to prevent collapse of the disposable waste container and enable the disposable waste container to remain in an upright position on its own. The semi-rigidity of the housing structure provides convenience for disposal rather than the flexible and collapsible construction of existing designs. Preferably, solid waste collected in the reservoir of the disposable waste container may be dumped in a flushable toilet, while the disposable waste container supporting absorbed liquid waste can be but is not limited to disposal in a plastic garbage bag or diaper disposal bag. In addition, such a structure for a disposable waste container eliminates the need to rely on secondary or additional support structures for attachment to a toilet seat or bedpan, such as gatherings, snaps, strings, tabs, flanges or adhesives. Furthermore, a plurality of disposable waste containers, having a housing as structured above, may be nestable into a stacked configuration for easy packaging and storage.
A variety of additional advantages and objects of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by means of the elements and combinations particularly pointed out in the claims. It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention as claimed.